--- title: Republican Debate: Donald Trump Bashes Gun-Free Zones description: He said he would lift gun restrictions on his properties canonical: https://time.com/4091988/republican-debate-donald-trump-guns/ author: Charlotte Alter article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-10-29T02:14:30.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:01:06.912Z article:section: Politics og:title: Donald Trump Says Gun-Free Zones Are 'Target Practice for Sickos' og:description: He said he would lift gun restrictions on his properties og:url: https://time.com/4091988/republican-debate-donald-trump-guns/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt01c925ca45a51d98/69886e9fcd1bba943a6fdda6/debate-gop2.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: US-VOTE-REPUBLICANS-DEBATE og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Donald Trump Says Gun-Free Zones Are 'Target Practice for Sickos' twitter:description: He said he would lift gun restrictions on his properties twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt01c925ca45a51d98/69886e9fcd1bba943a6fdda6/debate-gop2.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Donald Trump Says Gun-Free Zones Are 'Target Practice for Sickos'  by [Charlotte Alter](https://time.com/author/charlotte-alter/)  ## Charlotte Alter Senior Correspondent Oct 29, 2015 2:14 AM UTC  Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump waits for the start of the CNBC Republican Presidential Debate on Oct. 28, 2015 at the Coors Event Center at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado. Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump waits for the start of the CNBC Republican Presidential Debate on Oct. 28, 2015 at the Coors Event Center at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado.Robyn Beck—AFP/Getty Images  by [Charlotte Alter](https://time.com/author/charlotte-alter/)  ## Charlotte Alter Senior Correspondent Oct 29, 2015 2:14 AM UTC Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would feel comfortable if his employees brought guns to work, and he called gun-free zones “target practice for sickos.” “I feel that the gun-free zones… that’s target practice for the sickos and for the mentally ill,” Trump said during [the third Republican presidential debate](http://time.com/4091222/republican-debate-cnbc/?xid=homepage). “They look around for gun-free zones.” Trump also said he has a gun permit and that he would support lifting gun restrictions at Trump properties. “I think gun free zones are a catastrophe, they’re a feeding frenzy for sick people,” he said. ### See Donald Trump Hanging Out With Unlikely Celebrities  Donald Trump, owner of New York's Trump Tower, holds the bridle of a polo pony while talking to Andy Warhol on Nov. 4, 1983. Mario Suriani—AP  Donald Trump, Don King and Barbara Walters on Dec. 12, 1987. Ron Galella—Getty Images  Professional Wrestler Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant With Donald Trump. Russell Turiak—Getty Images  Heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, his wife, actress Robin Givens and Donald Trump, leave the New York State Supreme Court building on July 22, 1988. Charles Wenzelberg—AP  Developer Donald Trump is flanked by super middleweight champion Thomas Hearns, left, of Detroit, and Michael Olajide of Canada at a news conference in New York on Feb. 15, 1990. Timothy Clary—AP  Alec Baldwin is joined by Donald Trump and Melania Knauss at benefit for the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on October 8, 1999. Richard Corkery—NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images  Katie Couric, left, co-host of NBC-TV's "Today" show, is dressed like Donald Trump, right, during a spoof of his "The Apprentice" reality television show, on the morning program's annual Halloween segment on Oct. 29, 2004. Richard Drew—AP  Donald Trump and Larry King arrive at the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in New York on March 9, 2011. Charles Sykes—AP  Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, left, and Donald Trump appear onstage at the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in New York on March 9, 2011. Charles Sykes—AP  Snoop Dogg and Donald Trump arrive at the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in New York on March 9, 2011. Charles Sykes—AP  Martha Stewart and Donald Trump at Richard "Skip" Bronson's, "The War at the Shore" Book Publication Party held at Loews Regency Hotel in New York City on June 11, 2012. Sylvain Gaboury—Sipa USA  Tiger Woods stands with Donald Trump as he holds the Gene Serazen Cup for winning the Cadillac Championship golf tournament on March 10, 2013, in Doral, Fla. Wilfredo Lee—AP  Donald Trump and recording artist and host Nick Jonas joke around onstage during the 2013 Miss USA pageant at PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on June 16, 2013 in Las Vegas. 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